Program Analyst - DIRECT HIRE

About the role

This is a public notice for FTA authorized Program Analyst (0343) positions open to U.S. Citizens. This position is in the FTA Office of Regional Services (TRS).

The candidate will be a member of a small team reporting to the Deputy Associate Administrator and will assist in facilitating effective coordination between Headquarters and Regional Offices and support the effective and efficient delivery of regional services and operations.

What you will do

• Serve as a Program Analyst and advisor to management on the evaluation of the effectiveness of government programs.
• Interprets and applies federal regulations governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to manage project budgets, audit variances, and enforce strict cost accounting principles.
• Act as the primary liaison to key partner offices, capturing and synthesizing external materials to support seamless TRS day-to-day and overseeing high-impact special projects.
• Provide authoritative guidance to multi-disciplinary staff regarding strict formatting, structural design, and baseline content expectations for complex program analyses and official documentation.
• Apply expert qualitative and quantitative methods to collect, analyze, consolidate, and track program performance data, metrics, and status reports to evaluate resource impacts, program efficiency, and compliance with statutory goals.
• Evaluate and improve administrative frameworks by designing, developing, and recommending standardized processes for recurring regional operations to enhance program execution and streamline HQ-to-region communications.
• Coordinate agency-wide data collection and activity inputs across all geographic regional offices; systematically identifies and leverages opportunities for regional cross-collaboration, knowledge sharing, and improved business process delivery.
• The ideal candidate for this position is motivated, experienced and self-reliant professional with exceptional analytical abilities, and effective communication and customer service skills.

Requirements

• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.
• A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals.
• Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Education

If using foreign education to qualify, you must submit a course-by-course credential evaluation from a member of NACES or AICE (or show acceptance on an accredited U.S. transcript). The evaluation must verify degree equivalency, semester-hour equivalents, and individual grades to demonstrate fulfillment of the required coursework.

All evaluations and certified English translations must be uploaded before the announcement closes.

How you will be evaluated

DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume.

Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes.

HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination. All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.

Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.

Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application.
• These should be legible and in a readable font size.
• A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages.
• Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time (e.g., Program Analyst, GS-343-11 | January 2009–Present | 40 Hours/Week) and position titles.
• If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.
• The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience.
• Please visit: *** TRANSCRIPTS are REQUIRED (For the GS-11 position only) if you are substituting education for experience.
• The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
• CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL APPLICANTS: Submit SF-50 documentation proving your highest competitive grade, federal eligibility, and 52-week time-in-grade requirement.
• To pass HR validation, it's recommended to combine and upload these into a single PDF: Start Date: The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to the qualifying grade.
• End Date: An SF-50 dated at least 52 weeks later (e.g., a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or subsequent action) to prove a sequential 52-week period.
• Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Do not submit an award or current-year annual pay adjustment SF-50 by itself.
• These do not prove your original entry date or grade.
• If your documents fail to conclusively prove a full 52-week history, you will be rated Ineligible.
• DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the standards for this vacancy and provide all of the following documents: your most recent performance appraisal, the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
• Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.
• For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
• SPECIAL ATTENTION: To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents by the closing date of the announcement.

What to expect next

You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist may evaluate your application. If evaluated, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment.

In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, ***.

To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.